Small Scale Egg Production: The Challenge of Portuguese Autochthonous Chicken Breeds

Abstract

Biodiversity concerns and the sustainability of agroecological systems, together with consumer demand for higher quality products from alternative and extensive farming methods, have reinforced interest in local breeds that are well adapted to low-input environments. The first reference to Portuguese poultry breeds appeared in the 1930s, with registration and breeding programs of native breeds only being implemented in the last ten years. Portuguese chicken breeds (Pedrês Portuguesa, Preta Lusitânica, Amarela, and Branca) are almost extinct and are currently bred on small-scale farms for egg and meat production. This study aimed to characterize the performance of laying hens, evaluating the influence of genotype, age, and season on egg production over four years in farm conditions. The results highlight the Pedrês Portuguesa as the most productive breed regarding egg production and reveal a tendency for an increase in egg production performance by the Branca in contrast with the lower productive capacity of the Preta Lusitânica. Older hens start laying earlier in consecutive laying periods, present a shorter peak, and an inferior number of total eggs/cycle. There is a need to establish breeding goals and to evaluate and revise breeding programs to increase productivity in autochthonous Portuguese chicken breeds.

Carcass and Meat Quality Traits of Males and Females of the “Branca” Portuguese Autochthonous Chicken Breed

“…In Portugal, all of the four autochthonous chicken breeds: “Amarela”, “Branca”, “Pedrês Portuguesa” and “Preta Lusitânica”, are classified as endangered, although the “Branca” is the one that presents the most worrying situation due to the fact that it was the last to be recognized [ 5 , 6 ]. Produced in free-range conditions, with a simple, functional and traditional construction and adapted to the number of animals and type of production (meat or eggs), females are used to produce eggs, while males are kept for meat production and commonly sold as a whole carcass [ 5 , 7 , 8 ].…”

A Preliminary Investigation of Salmonella Populations in Indigenous Portuguese Layer Hen Breeds

“…Consumer concern regarding the sustainability of production and animal welfare has strongly increased the demand for eggs and meat that are produced through alternative and extensive farming methods [26]. The current shift in consumer preferences for products perceived as "more natural", "organic", "humanely-raised", and viewed as healthier, has led to an increased trend for the consumption of eggs from backyard-raised chickens [32].…”

“…In recent years, consumers' knowledge about climate change and their awareness of the impact that intensive animal production systems may have has greatly increased [8]. Furthermore, problems related to biodiversity, competition for land and resources, rusticity, resistance, adaptability, and animal welfare have emerged, strengthening consumers' concerns about the sustainability of animal production systems [13,[25][26][27][28][29][30].…”

“…There are a few studies carried out with Portuguese chicken breeds, mainly very recent and related to phenotypic and productive characteristics, defining patterns and productive systems [25,26,34]. Biometric characterization of the Portuguese hen breeds ("Pedrês Portuguesa", "Preta Lusitânica", "Amarela", and "Branca") showed a high sexual dimorphism, with the "Branca" breed standing out in all the biometric measures and being better adapted to meat production [25].…”

“…The carcass characteristics and meat quality of the "Branca" breed were evaluated by Meira et al (2022) [35], and they identified an interesting physicochemical profile, with good proportion of minerals, essential fatty acids, and n-3-PUFAs, ensuring that consumers receive a highly nutritional and differentiated product. However, the "Pedrês Portuguesa" and "Amarela" breeds showed a potential for doublepurpose production (meat and eggs) [25], with the "Pedrês Portuguesa" standing out as the most productive breed regarding egg production in contrast to the "Preta Lusitânica" with a lower productive capacity [26].…”